Finding the right wine to serve with all those different foods on Thanksgiving is not as easy as you think. Here are 5 tips to help you make the right selection!

Tip # 1 – Pick a Wine you Know and Like:

With holidays and special occasions many of us try and find the right wine that pairs naturally with the food we’re about to eat. Unfortunately at Thanksgiving this creates a bit of a challenge since there are so many different foods, taste and flavors. My advice, is to stick with wines you know and love. Take the guess work out of the wine choice and relax with a familiar favorite.

Tip # 2 – Avoid that Special Aged Wine:

If you are like me you probably have a special wine sitting in your basement cellar waiting for the right occasion to pop open. Thanksgiving comes along, you bring the wine out, tout its greatness to your guest and bingo, it’s bad. Either spoiled, beyond its peek or seepage has let to a disappointing taste. Avoid this disaster by playing it safe, pick something with less age.

Tip # 3 – Don’t Go Overboard:

I know it’s Thanksgiving and we’re all happy to begin the Holiday season, but there is no reason to go overboard on your wine purchase. I have been to Thanksgiving dinners where there was more choices than there were side dishes. Chances are your guest enjoy wine, but may not be overly knowledgeable and will like whatever you put out. Stick with one or two grape varieties and limit the number of producers. I always have a couple bottles of Red Zinfandel by a producer I like and usually a California Pinot Noir. Add a white and I’m done.

Tip # 4 – Decant the Good Stuff:

OK, so you’re ignoring Tip # 2 and going with that special selection you been saving. You’re confident the wine is good, there is no visible sign of seepage and you have taken extremely good care of this wine since the day you purchased it. Go one step further and decant the wine at least two hours before you intend to use it. An aged selection or a wine with a lot of structure needs to breathe before your enjoy. This one tip alone will really improve the wine experience.

Tip # 5 – Go for Balance:

Like I said before, there are a lot of different taste, smells and flavors with the Thanksgiving meal and it takes a wine with good balance to stand up to this feast. When making your purchase ask for a balanced wine. You don’t want a wine that is overly fruity or very high in tannins. You want the a smooth wine that does not compete with the food but compliments the food. A good wine shop should be able to point you in the right direction.

I hope these tips help you wine experience not just with Thanksgiving but throughout the Holidays. If you thought I was going to let you leave without making a suggestion or two, you haven’t been around this site for too long. The wines below are available at Wine.Com and will ship today if you order NOW!!

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Ravenswood Teldeschi Vineyard Zinfandel 2011

Winemaker’s Notes:

Teldeschi Zinfandel’s powerful aromas of black cherries, coffee, caramel, and vanilla as well as other sweet dark fruit scents, combine to create the classic character of a great Dry Creek Benchland Zinfandel. Rich flavors of sweet cherry liqueur, vanilla, and smoke lead to a ripe, dense, long, moderately astringent, and bright fruit finish.

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Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel 2012

Winemaker’s Notes:

Spicy, lush black fruit of Alexander Valley. Briary and raspberry flavors, along with structure, of cooler Dry Creek Valley. Balanced and elegantly structured.

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Spellbound Petite Sirah 2012

Winemaker’s Notes:

Intensity of color, rich black and brambly fruits, vanilla bean and roasting coffee aromatics are complemented by remarkable approachability in our Spellbound Petite Sirah. The wine is crafted to unleash dark and luscious characteristics, while managing tannins to deliver an opulent and juicy Petite Sirah. This lush yet easy-drinking wine provides intense berry character, with superb texture you will find in none other than Spellbound Petite Sirah.

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